MQM and PPP Clash During Shazia Marri’s Speech in National Assembly

Islamabad: A heated exchange erupted between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) during the speech of Shazia Marri in the National Assembly. The situation nearly escalated into a physical altercation between the members of both parties.
During her address, Shazia Marri stated, “Karachi is not the fief of anyone; it is a city of Sindh. We will not allow Karachi to be separated from Sindh, Karachi belongs to Sindh and will remain a part of Sindh.”
The comments provoked an angry response from MQM’s Asiya Ishaq, who moved toward PPP members. In response, PPP members including Asifa Bhutto and Sahar Kamran intervened, and the situation almost escalated into a scuffle. Strong verbal exchanges followed, with MQM’s Javed Hanif accusing PPP members of “orphaning” Karachi, stating, “You have made Karachi an orphan.”
In her speech, Shazia Marri also condemned Israeli aggression against Palestinians and India’s acts of aggression, while praising Iran’s Parliament for its appreciative words towards Pakistan. She also highlighted the positive role played by Pakistan’s delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto, in representing the country on the global stage. “Bilawal Bhutto represented Pakistan’s case with great skill, and his success is a success for all of us. He made us proud,” she added.
The PPP leader also criticized the government for not announcing a minimum wage in the federal budget and for failing to support the working class. She emphasized that while PPP had previously increased salaries, the current government’s budget lacked cohesion. Marri rejected the imposition of an 18% tax on solar panels, labeling it unacceptable.
Lastly, she lashed out at the current government, accusing them of taking an unprecedented amount of loans. “We have all witnessed this opposition government, and they have borrowed more than any government in history,” Marri concluded.